Rhythms of Life | Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

"A time to gain, a time to lose,

A time to rend, a time to sew,

A time to love, a time to hate,

A time for peace, I swear it's not too late.

To everything, turn, turn, turn, There is a season, turn, turn, turn,

And a time for every purpose under heaven."

-The Byrds (1965)

The Byrds wrote one of the quintissential songs of the 60's in "Turn, Turn, Turn!" a song that almost verbatim quotes the scripture of Ecclesiastes 3 which is the scripture we are focusing on this week. But even the Byrds tweaked the scripture slightly during the anti-war sentiment present at that time as people sought an end to the Vietnam war: "A time for peace, I swear it's not too late."

When I read this I wonder if there aren't some additions we could add to it for our 21st century sensibilities. Maybe  "a time for social media, a time to put the smart phone down," or "a time for urgency, and a time for patience," or "a time to labor, and a time to rest." 

We need rhythms! Rhythms make up the fabric of all creation. The creation story in Genesis 1 has rhythm. The passage of day into night is a constant rhythm. The passing of seasons, the changing of tides. We are surrounded by rhythms in nature. Rhythms that sustain the life of our entire planet. 

Our bodies are made up of rhythms: circadian rhythms that affect our metabolism, our cognitive abilities. We create new life rhythmically. Our body keeps its beat through the constancy of our pumping hearts. 

What happens when those rhythms are interrupted? When we interrupt the circadian rhythms that sustain us by not sleeping enough of being over caffeinated? When the rhythms of the seasons are disrupted by climate change? When the rhythms of daily life are obliterated by violence and war? 

Ecclesiastes invites us to find rhythm in all things, so that we can be at peace with how life is constantly changing. We are also invited to honor those rhythms rather than dominating them when they can be inconvenient for us. With this passage we can embrace that life is, indeed, a part of death; that peace always should follow war; that there are times when we experience sorrow, but that sorrow is followed by joy and laughter.

Join us on Sunday as we consider the rhythms we might not notice that God has placed in creation to sustain life, and how those rhythms can also sustain us, too! See you soon.